Much-maligned Fullerton seeks turnaround

Acting Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes believes most police officers in his department see police work as a calling, not just a job. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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"This badge is a symbol of trust," said Capt. Dan Hughes, acting Fullerton police chief, who has strong ties to the city after having been raised there. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Hairstylist Laura Mussche, at right , styles customer Michele Castro's hair at Salon Technique in Fullerton. The shop Mussche works at has an expansive view of downtown. She loves the artsy feel of the area. All the businesses support each other, she said. "It's a nice, friendly vibe down here," she said. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In the wake of Kelly Thomas' death, Capt. Dan Hughes, acting Fullerton police chief, says he wants to regain the public's trust. He says he is "actively engaged in directing officers to make ethical decisions." H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Capt. Dan Hughes, acting Fullerton police chief, pauses in the Mural Room at his department's headquarters. It is a space devoted to multiple uses ranging from strategic law enforcement meetings to community meetings. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Fullerton resident Marcus Carman is a customer at Steamer's Jazz Club and Cafe in downtown Fullerton. He likes the nostalgic feeling the downtown evokes in him. "I know everybody in town," he says. "Lots of friendly people live here." H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Villa Del Sol in downtown Fullerton is a historic site that reflects the Spanish architectural ambiance that part of downtown Fullerton favors. The California Hotel here broke ground in 1922. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Jose Gonzales lives and works in Fullerton. He is a staffer at Revolucion 1910 Cantina in downtown. "People are cool here. The police are nice here too," he says. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Tree-lined Harbor Boulevard in downtown Fullerton is home to many businesses. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Retail stores and cafes, including Steamer's Jazz Club and Cafe, line the major streets of downtown Fullerton. H. LORREN AU JR., THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

FULLERTON – The up-close photo of a bloody and bruised Kelly Thomas in a hospital bed, along with reports that the injuries that would turn fatal were pounded upon the unarmed, mentally ill homeless man by Fullerton police officers, circulated rapidly on the Web and TV stations worldwide.

Demonstrations were staged weekly in front of City Hall. Cameras recorded City Council meetings packed with enraged audience members demanding justice and change. Grainy cell-phone videos captured a blur of bodies and the sounds of a Taser and Thomas screaming in a downtown parking lot for his dad.

In the weeks after the July incident, more trouble surfaced: an officer facing charges for stealing an iPad at a Miami airport; another facing termination after reports of sexual misconduct; police raiding the wrong house in search for a probationer.

A local blog, fullertonsfuture.org, which published the photo, has continually attacked City Hall for the death and how city officials handled it. So has the popular John and Ken show on KFI (640-AM).

"Some horrendous things have occurred over a short time," Councilman Bruce Whitaker said. "It is a deterrent to come here for some."

This city, with a real downtown of restaurants, bars and shops, with exclusive homes in the foothills, the county's largest university and a history centered around train tracks that still rumble often with passenger coaches and freighters, residents who stay put generation after generation – this proud city had its image tarnished, at least when to comes to outsiders.

What does this all mean to the city itself?

"This story has just affected the hearts of the residents of Fullerton," said Valerie Gabriel, 33, a Cal State Fullerton graduate who has lived in town for the past year and works for a nonprofit group. "I completely feel that it (Fullerton) took a big P.R. hit. The outcome of the trial will bring a sense of closure. ... But it will never be forgotten."

Davis Barber, who lives here and owns an online newspaper, fullertonstories.com, said the core of the city remains intact.

"All the good things about the city are still here," he said. "What has made Fullerton great for me is the sense of community. The degree of separation is very small. No outside perception changes that.

"I think there is still a huge amount of pride from those who see Fullerton as they have for years," Barber said. "It is one of the few O.C. cities that has roots."

Thursday evenings can often find Clarissa Leos, 33, at the Downtown Fullerton Farmers' Market. The seven-year resident has noticed something: Officers mingling more with the marketplace's shoppers.

"It is to let people know that they are changing," Leos figures.

As the story of Kelly Thomas' brutal death started swirling locally and then nationally, as criticism and questions mounted daily, if not hourly, City Hall largely kept mum.

Two City Council members said they wanted Police Chief Michael Sellers to step down, accusing him of a lack of leadership in the wake of the Thomas incident. Few details of what happened that summer night were provided by the city, and most City Hall leaders would hardly talk about the Thomas case at all.

But Dean Kazoleas, professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton and a consultant in crisis management, said bringing in an outsider to probe the Police Department, like Fullerton has, to determine what happened that night and if proper procedures are in place, was the correct move.

"That is a strategy that is used when there are scandals," Kazoleas said. "When there is doubt, it often lends credibility to the process."

Sellers quickly went on medical leave, and two subsequent acting chiefs have made themselves more accessible to the media and the community. Police regulations were tightened up: Sworn and non-sworn personnel were to be trained on how to deal with the mentally ill, and any public complaint must now be forwarded to various supervisors and internal affairs.

"It is apparent that we have failed in some segments of the community," said Capt. Dan Hughes, a 28-year veteran of the Fullerton force who now leads it, while providing journalists a behind-the-counter look at police headquarters. "Part of that (restoring trust) begins with what we are doing right now. ... In terms of how we move forward, that is my responsibility, and I should be held accountable."

Like with any healing, there will be bumps.

The criminal trial of two officers in the Kelly Thomas case looms – one is charged with second-degree murder and another with involuntary manslaughter. It will play out in full view of the public.

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has said the officers, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, delivered a barrage of blows to the 37-year-old's head and body. Police have said they were looking for someone possibly burglarizing a car.

Another public and somewhat painful turn will be the evolving recall of the three council members who said little; organizers say they have turned in plenty of signatures to put the council members' political future up to a vote by the residents.

Plenty in town are confident that Fullerton's shine will return – if it ever left.

The Steamers Jazz Club and Café, on West Commonwealth Avenue, has been a popular for locals and out-of-towners since opening 18 years ago.

"I personally don't feel that people have stopped coming to Fullerton because they are afraid of the police," said Steamers' owner Terrence Love. "No one wants the reputation of their town to be tarnished, and I don't think it has been."

Pamela Coryell had signed a lease to open Salon Technique at Commonwealth and Harbor Boulevard when the Thomas death made Fullerton a household name to those far, far away.

"In the beginning, there were only very slight concerns," said Coryell, who opened for business this month. "It (Fullerton) had such a good reputation previously. ...I think people are getting past that (the negative groundswell), and moving on."

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